Indian ride-hailing firm Ola said on Tuesday it plans to launch services in Britain this year, months after expanding operations in Australia, intensifying its rivalry with U.S. peer Uber Technologies Inc. Ola has obtained licenses to begin operations in South Wales in September, as well as Greater Manchester, and plans to expand nationwide by the end of the year, it said in a statement. The firm will offer private vehicles for hire as well as Britain’s famous black cabs on its platform, and will add more transportation options going forward. Ola and Uber, which both count Japan’s SoftBank Group as an investor, have been competing in India’s $12 billion taxi market and in recent months have taken their rivalry overseas. Ola is targeting high-booking markets in search of profitability because in India, less loyal consumers demanding low-cost rides makes competition more intense, said Neil Shah, research director at consultancy Counterpoint Research. In February, Ola … [Read more...] about India’s Ola to launch in Britain as Uber rivalry heats up
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Ola, India’s Ride-Hailing Startup, Is Taking on Uber in U.K.
Ola, India’s dominant ride-hailing startup, announced its plans to enter the U.K., opening yet another overseas front in a fight with global leader Uber Technologies Inc.Ola will initially side-step London, where Uber has just managed to garner a 15-month extension on its operating license, and will instead begin operations in South Wales and Greater Manchester, and is working with authorities to expand nationwide by the year-end.Ola will offer passengers the option of private hire vehicles and licensed taxis through its platform, where it intends to keep adding transportation options. Besides its home market, Bangalore-based Ola operated by ANI Technologies Pvt, is already battling Uber in Australia, a market it entered in February and where it operates in seven cities with 40,000 drivers.Bhavish Aggarwal, co-founder and chief executive officer of Ola, said the company would engage with policymakers and regulators to “build a company embedded in the U.K.”Uber saved … [Read more...] about Ola, India’s Ride-Hailing Startup, Is Taking on Uber in U.K.
Uber returns to Finland
Uber Technologies Inc.'s new executive, Dara Khosroshahi has pursued a policy of repairing relationships with local authorities in several places where Uber had faced restrictions and fines. London also got it’s Uber services restored after Uber apologised and made improvements in background checks for drivers. HT Photo: Lehtikuva Read also: Almost 700 apply for taxi license after new transport law kicks in … [Read more...] about Uber returns to Finland
Uber Returns to Finland After Change to Transport Laws
Uber Technologies Inc. said it will relaunch its ride-hailing services in Finland following a year-long suspension, after a new transportation law came into effect this week.The San Francisco-based company had suspended its operations in Finland last year, pending the implementation of the new law."Those new regulations have now come into effect and so we’re delighted to relaunch in Helsinki today," said Joel Jarvinen, Uber’s general manager for the Nordics.Finland’s move overhauls what was previously a strictly regulated transport market and supports new business models, including digitization and new technologies, the government’s transport ministry says on its website.Uber drivers in the country had been facing possible criminal prosecution and hefty fines as part of a police crackdown against drivers who lack the required taxi permits. But journeys are set to restart in the Helsinki region as soon as Wednesday afternoon and will feature professional and … [Read more...] about Uber Returns to Finland After Change to Transport Laws
London Puts a Leash On Uber
London may just have laid out a roadmap for how to prevent Silicon Valley recidivism.A judge’s decision to grant Uber Technologies Inc. a limited license to operate in the city – predicated upon passing regular audits – sets a precedent that others might want to follow. In recent years, European regulators have repeatedly punished the likes of Apple Inc. and Alphabet Inc. over their corporate behavior. But those punishments have, as my colleague Leonid Bershidsky has written, all too frequently failed to stop them re-offending.Uber’s nine-year existence has been characterized by a general dismissiveness toward regulations and employment norms. Back in September, the body running public transportation in London said it would ban the ride-hailing company because of safety and governance concerns. This followed a litany of misbehavior by the firm. The potential ban in one of Uber’s most … [Read more...] about London Puts a Leash On Uber